Gothic Theatre
Sondre Lerche
At the ripe old age of 19, native Norwegian Sondre Lerche is no rookie in the world of music. With two critically acclaimed European EPs as well as a host of successful live performances under his belt, Sondre’s debut album, Faces Down, is ripe for the tasting. With a foundation in rich and harmonic pop music, this album presents eleven mature songs (and one US bonus track) anchored in both challenging and classic songwriter traditions.
The story of Sondre Lerche is all about a true passion for music and creativity. Being the youngest of four siblings, the singer-songwriter was influenced by the pop idols of the eighties. A strong fascination for bands such as native Norwegian heroes a-ha steered him further into the world of music, and by the age of eight, was enrolled in guitar lessons at a children’s music school. At the same time Sondre eagerly explored chords and melodies in his bedroom, and his vague attempts on composing slowly developed. As a 14-year-old he had already written his first song, “Locust Girl.” His older sister worked shifts at a local club, and years before Sondre was even old enough to get in, she helped secure gigs for him on the weekly acoustic nights.
Norwegian producer H.P Gundersen was a regular on these nights, and he discovered the major talent of the young Sondre. They got in touch, and before long a close musical relationship between the two of them was established. Sondre was introduced to what was to him “new” music within genres such as sixties pop, psychedelia, and Brazilian pop, and this led him to discover artists and bands most teenagers have never even heard of. Today, Sondre refers to Burt Bacharach, Jeff Buckley, High Llamas, Elvis Costello, Steely Dan, Beck and Cole Porter as his most important sources of inspiration.
With great help from his Oslo-based manager Tatiana Penzo, Sondre Lerche was signed to Virgin Norway during the spring 2000. With his strong concert performances, distinctive voice and persistent focus on music Sondre has proven a favorite of both the press and the public. He clearly represents a positive and healthy counterweight to many of today’s tailor-made and synthetic pop creations. His songs are often catchy and beautifully immediate, but they all contain a level of depth and intricacy that brings longevity to his compositions.
Faces Down was recorded in Duper Studios in Bergen, Norway and was produced by H.P Gundersen (Tweeterfriendly Music, Helen Eriksen) and Joergen Traeen (Jaga Jazzist, Sister Sonny). Sondre sings, plays the guitar and some keyboard, and the additional musicians on the album are: Lillian Samdal (vocal), Joergen Traen and Morten Skage (bass), Kato Aadland (guitar), H.P Gundersen (piano) and Frode Unneland (drums). Sean O’Hagan from the High Llamas did three of the string arrangements while Sondre resided on a mattress in his studio.
The result is a very ambitious and diverse pop album, which despite strong and beautiful melodies often bumps into hard edges and quirky noises. Sondre Lerche has also proven himself to be a mature and skilled live musician. One of his first major concerts was at the Quartfestival in Norway last year where he warmed up for Beth Orton
